| Name and Photo | Title and Department | Bio |
|---|---|---|
| Brueggemann, Brenda
|
Professor, Aetna Endowed Chair of Writing, English | Brenda is a Professor and Aetna Endowed Chair of Writing in the English Department at the University of Connecticut. Her interest areas in research, service, and teaching include teaching college writing, writing program administration, women in higher education, university and community engagement, and creative nonfiction. Her specialties include deaf studies, disability studies, disability art and creative expression, UDL, captioning, global disability issues, and disability and human rights. |
| Bruder, Mary Beth | ||
| Chamberland, Sally
|
Office of Academic Program Assessment, CETL | Sally provides support for faculty on the assessment of academic programs, in particular assessment of the Common Curriculum. She offers assessment-related professional development training, including the use of Blackboard EAC and reflection on assessment data. Sally guides faculty across different academic disciplines in the alignment of direct and indirect measures of assessments to academic program and Common Curriculum objectives. |
| Darling, Keri
|
Program Coordinator, UCIS | Keri was born and raised in Vermont. She graduated from The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) with a Bachelors in Photo Journalism. She began her career working as a Program Manager at The Deaf Independence Program for Vermont Center for Independent Living. During her employment she realized there was a huge gap in services related to Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals experiencing (or who had previously experienced) some kind of abuse. This led Keri to start her own program called Deaf Vermonters Advocacy Services (DVAS), where she worked as the Director and Trainer for over 20 years. Keri is well known nationally for her work as a Domestic and Sexual Violence Consultant, helping others to set up their own programs. Keri also is one of only two (2) nationally certified Self Defense Instructors and she loves to provide self defense trainings for Deaf/Hard of Hearing women and female Interpreters. She has also traveled locally and nationally to provide trainings for service providers who come in contact with Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. She later met and fell in love with her wife (Amy), then Keri decided to move from Vermont to Massachusetts, where she started working at The Learning Center for the Deaf (TLC) as a Recruitment Manager. After 4 years at TLC Keri became the Program Manager of UConn’s Communication Access & Interpreting Services (UCIS) department here at UConn and has been here since January of 2024. Keri loves to hike, kayak, spend time with family & friends, and loves living in Holland (yes, this is an actual town in Massachusetts!) with her wife (Amy) and their 1 year old Mini Aussie (Jax) and Bunny (Coco). |
| Guthrie, Matt
|
Assistance Professor in Residence, Physics | Matt teaches introductory physics, ranging from the most basic level to more advanced treatments. He is actively involved in the revision and development of the curriculum for the recently redesigned Studio facilities in Gant Plaza. His research critically analyzes educational practices in physics, focusing on in-person group work, online learning environments, and their effects on student outcomes. His goal is to develop and evaluate strategies that promote engagement and equity in physics education. Additionally, I have been exploring the educational benefits of the Lagrangian formulation in classical and relativistic physics. Finally, he is leading the modernization of UConn’s planetarium (built in 1955) and observatory (built in 1979) facilities, integrating technology like a new projector and computerized telescope control hardware. |
| Keefe, Kelsey
|
eLearning Developer, eCampus, CETL | Kelsey is an eLearning Developer in the eCampus unit of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). She supports faculty and instructional designers developing online courses by implementing pedagogically-aligned educational technology solutions for various settings and needs. She specializes in online course and digital accessibility, focusing on applying proactive accessibility best practice to support Universal Design for Learning (UDL). |
| Kent, Andi
|
Assistant Director of Faculty Development, Faculty Development, CETL | Andi spent the first ten years of their career as a Political Science professor. Then joined UConn and CETL in 2024. Their interests in teaching and learning are broad – including new course design, creating accessible learning spaces and using games in the classroom. An ultimate cheerleader for creative and thoughtful teaching, Andi participates in all types of teaching and learning activities including individual consultation, learning community-type small-group programming and campus-wide initiatives. Because of their experience at regional, teaching institutions, Andi works closely with UConn’s regional campuses in Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford and Waterbury. |
| Lutz, Tara | Associate Director for Training, University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, UConn Health | Tara is an assistant professor of Public Health Sciences and teach in the graduate Programs in Applied Public Health Sciences (which includes the MPH program) and in the School of Medicine. She is the Associate Director for Training at the UConn Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UConn UCEDD) and coordinate the graduate Certificate of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies in Public Health. The UConn UCEDD is one of 68 UCEDDs across the country authorized by the Developmental Disabilities Act of 2000 to be interdisciplinary education, research, and public service units of universities to assure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families have access to and can participate in all facets of community life across the lifespan. |
| McDermott, Liam
|
Post-Doc, Physics | Dr. McDermott is a physics education research post-doc, working with Dr. Erin Scanlon’s group. Our work investigates the ways in which neurodivergent undergraduates perform physics tasks and experience the physics major. To do this, we are conducting a series of interviews with neurodivergent undergraduates, having them solve problems and walking us through their thought process, along with discuss their experiences as physics students. We hope to gain a better picture of what it’s like to be neurodivergent in physics through our research! |
| Nemeroff, Megan | Center for Students with Disabilities | Megan Nemeroff is a Disability Services Professional at UConn. She has been in the Disability Services field for almost a decade, in both private and public institutions. Her career started with overseeing and streamlining the peer notetaking program at a small private institution and then bringing new notetaking assistive technology to campus. Advances in assistive technology and classroom technology remain an area of professional interest, along with focus on these areas regarding students with ADHD and d/Deaf and hard of hearing students. |
| Scanlon, Erin
|
Assistant Professor in Residence, Physics | Erin works as an Assistant Professor in Residence at the Avery Point campus of the University of Connecticut in the Department of Physics and conducts physics with a focus on disability in the sciences and moving the physics communities toward being more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and socially just. |
| Silva, Audrey
|
Director, UCIS | Audrey is the Director of UConn Communication Access & Interpreting Services (UCIS), a specialized unit within UConn’s Center for Students with Disabilities. A nationally certified ASL-English interpreter, trainer, and mentor with over 30 years of experience, Audrey leads communication access efforts across all campuses and for all constituencies: students, faculty, staff, and visitors. She believes that better partnerships lead to better inclusion and is currently focused on building sustainable, collaborative access solutions in higher education. |
| Skudlarek, Karen
|
IT Accessibility Coordinator, ITS | Karen is the IT Accessibility Coordinator UConn. She provides guidance and assistance to campus departments in integrating accessible technology into the classroom and workplace environments. In addition, she develops and implements staff and faculty training programs related to accessible technology and instruction for students and employees with disabilities. |
| Slane, Cheryl
|
Assistive Technology Coordinator, Center for Students with Disabilities | |
| Turetsky, Terran | Disability Service Professional, Center for Students with Disabilities | Terran Turetsky is currently working as a Disability Service Professional (DSP) at the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD), where she works with faculty, students, staff, and families to support equitable access to the campus environment. Prior to joining the CSD, Terran worked as a school psychologist for nine years and the 504 Coordinator for 3 years. As a school psychologist, she developed and implemented professional development for faculty, worked with students on an individual basis to provide direct instruction on lagging skills, administered psychological evaluations, and engaged in the accommodation review process. |
| Vassar, Ashten | Graduate Student, Human Rights | Ashten is a graduate student in Human Rights and work with Disability archival materials on several projects that center both historic and contemporary iterations of institutionalization. |
| Villa, Martina
|
Graduate Student, Landi Lab, Psychology | Martina is a graduate student in the Landi Lab where she tries to detangle the genetic and environmental mechanisms by which we (fail to) learn to read. Having dyslexia herself, she cares that research on reading disabilities is accessible to those who struggle to read, and she engages in outreach and community engagement. On a Sunday, you can find her enjoying her favorite band: Harshana and the Dyscalculic Trio. |
| Wenzel, Christine
|
Executive Director, Center for Students with Disabilities | Christine has been working in the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at UConn since 2003 and has been the Executive Director since June 2023. Christine received her bachelor’s degree from UConn in Audiology and her master’s degree, also from UConn, in Higher Education: Student Affairs. Christine has a particular interest in working with students with autism spectrum disorders in a higher education environment. Christine created the Beyond Access program, the CSD’s fee for service academic coaching program, in 2008 and also serves as the Center’s liaison for career and post-graduation initiatives and works alongside her colleagues in the Center for Career Development to provide resources, services, internships and career opportunities for students with disabilities. Christine has co-authored many publications and chapters related to working with students on the autism spectrum in the post-secondary environment, and has presented at several professional conferences across the country and was featured on Good Morning America in 2008. |
| Xian, Wu
|
Associate Professor in Residence, Physics |
